You know how when you buy a picture frame it comes with some cheesey picture already in it? That picture is basically just there as a placeholder to show what you’re supposed to put there, using a better and more personal image.

Factory sights on a Glock are pretty much that.

(And, credit where credit is due, that analogy came from Tam.)

Anyway,Glock factory (plastic!) sights do the job, I suppose, but I wanted something a bit more durable and a lot more glowy since this particular G17 was going to replace my very dog-earred Gen2 G19 that I’ve been toting around for the last ten years. Since Tam has shot more Glocks, and used more different sight combinations, than pretty much any primate on the internet I asked for her opinion. She very graciously replied to my email with not only her learned opinion but a good bit of detail explaining that opinion.

My go-to recommendation these days is Trijicon HDs, either in the regular version or the HD XR, which have a slightly thinner front sight.
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The advantage to the XR sight is that the narrower front sight (still fat compared to fine target sights) gives wider “light bars” on either side and is therefore a lot faster to pick up when shooting at speed. Also, it doesn’t completely obscure a target like a B-8 bull as close as 15 yards the way most “combat” front sights do. (Pretty much all USPSA guys will run skinny Dawson fibers on game guns these days for speed and precision.)

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(Interestingly, part of the reason for the trend hugely fat front sights is the limitations imposed by insetting a tritium vial. The new, skinnier front sights like the HD XR and CAP LE are literally as narrow a front sight as Tool Tech can safely load with tritium.)

Who am I to argue? I found a place that had them on sale for $80 delivered and ordered up a set. They arrived today. A few minutes with a front sight tool (highly recommended) and my old factory Glock sight pusher (also rather handy) and sights were in. Now, of course, the gun is virtually useless until I go to the range and make sure things hit where theyre supposed to. I’ll swap out all the springs just to be thorough, sight it in for the usual 115 gr. chow, and call it good.

I’m sure someone may ask “Why the 17 instead of the smaller 19”? I generally find that, given the holsters I use, the difference in size between the two pistols makes virtually no practical difference on concealment. So, I’ll take the bigger grip and slightly longer sight radius. Oh, and these landed today:

So, off to the range later this week.